June 7, 2015 - First Buds

We spotted our first rhododendron buds next to the creek while walking back from the campground.

 

Then I saw one bloom high in the bush and zoomed in on it.

 

Mushrooms are popping up everywhere too. I didn’t notice the snail on the tree until I got this picture enlarged on the computer.

 

 

This is a sight I love to see. What could be better than to sit on a rock in Big Creek and read a good book, except maybe to have some cushioning? I planned to go down the bank for a closer view, but he got up before I could get down there.

 

We stood on the bridge and counted fish. I got a picture of this one swimming in invisible water.

A couple came walking up the horse trail while we were eating our dinner. We looked up when the man made some sort of exclamation. He had found the sock he had lost a few days ago. I told him we had seen the sock, but left it there in case the owner came back to find it. We always wait a day or two before we toss abandoned clothing into the dumpster. I sure didn’t expect anyone to claim the sock though.

We came across a woman with two boys in the parking lot who were headed back to their car with their dog after they had seen the “No Pets” sign on Big Creek Trail. We offered to dogsit so they could hike up to the Midnight Hole. I forgot her name. She seemed a little anxious at first, but the lay down on the mat near the door to wait for her people to return.

 

We knew she was coming, but did not know exactly when and were surprised when Daughter Kathy drove up in the evening. She had driven all the way from the Washington, DC area in one day.

On the radio

First thing in the morning, rangers were asking each other if they had heard about the incident at Molly’s.

In the evening there was a lot of conversation between numerous rangers searching for a suicidal couple. The man was apparently in trouble and had skipped his bail. Family members had called the park to report them. Dispatch got a phone number and called the man, who said he was in the park near a waterfall, but would not say which one. When he realized that he was talking to a park official, he hung up. The couple was from Gatlinburg and did not have a car, so rangers were checking waterfalls within walking distance from town.